Thresher and cleaner.



G W TICE THRESHER AND CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 23. 1905.

No. 842,437. PATBNTED JAN. 29, 1907. G. W. TICE.

THRESHBR AND CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.23/. 1905.-

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No. 842,437. v PATBNTIID JAN. 29, 1907.

. G. W. TICE.

THRESHER AND CLEANER.

APPLICATION IILIID Nov.23. 1905.

l L? [NVE/WOR No. 842,437. PATENTED JAN.29,`1907.

` G. W. TICE. THRESHER. AND CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23. 1905.

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` To. all whom it may concern:

UNITED sTAIEs IArIEnrr OEEICE.

GEORGE W TICE, OE RILEY-CENTER, MICHIGAN; AssIGNOR OE ONE-HALF TO ALLEN K. TICE, OE LAEIMORE, NORTH DAKOTA.

`-No.fsaagier, 1

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 29, 1907.

Application led November 23, 1905.` Serial No. 288,763.

Be it known that l, GEORGE W. TICE, a

vcitizen-Of the United States, residing at Riley Center, in the county Ol" St. Clair, State'of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Threshers i and Cleaners, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a threshing'and cleaning machine. and particularly-to aportable structure of this character having a traction-engine in connection therewith.

The invention has for an Object to provide an improved construction and arrangement of threshing-cylinders and Conveying means both for the straw and-grain between the cylinders and awa)r from the same, together with an improved construction and arrangement of driving mechanism for the several parts. 1

Other and further Objects of the invention will be hereinafter setforth, and the novel features thereof defined in the appended claims. Y

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is longitudinal vertical section thereof. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross-section of the hullinghopper. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section of the conveyer from the elevator to the chaffing-screen on line 4 4, Fig. 16. Fig. 5 is a plan of the revolving feeding-grates. Fig. 6 is a detail'side view of said grates. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective of t-he threshing-teeth.

Fig. `8 is a plan'ofthe regulating mechanism for the cleaning-fan. Fie. 9 is a vertical section through said fan. Fig. 10- is a plan of the chafiing-screen. Fig. 11 is a side elevation showing the mounting thereof. Fig. 12 is an elevation of. the rolls for feeding bundles to the,'conveying-rakes.` Fig. 13 is a detail plan :of this device with parts i-n section. Fig. 14'is an elevation, with parts in section, of the driving mechanism for the band-cutters'. and spreader-rolls. Fig.. 15 is a detail elevation ofthe supporting-frame for these parts. Fig. 16 is an enlarged section through the thresher and cleaner. Fig. 17 is a detail elevation ofthe band-cutter rolls and the cooperating spreader-roll'.

Like numerals of reference' refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings;

`The numeral 1 indicates the frameof the acter, and is supported at the feeding end by the Opposite end with the engine 3, provided with the traction-wheels 4.

When the machine is to be .used for `the manner, vthe construction and 'arrangement of parts shown in Fig.,2 is provided, or if the machine is to be used as a harvester the attachment shown in Figs. 17 and 18 is applied. In the former arrangement a depending frame is provided, having at its lower end a bearing-wheel 6, over which the belt 7 of the feeder-rakes passes. lThese rakes 8 are pivotally mounted upon this belt Orcarrier and provided at their inner ends with an arm 9, adapted. to engage the rake-trip 10,

portion of the apron. The rakes are thus thrown into a'position Obliquely to the apron and held therek-luring the travel of the rakes in contact with the trip and until they reach are released from their trip and permitted to fall, so that the bundle or material carried thereby is free to be received into the machine. For the purpose of ldirecting these bundles upon this apron or rake the reels 12 are provided, as shown-Sin Figs. 12 and 13,

pinion 13, carried lby the Outer end of the shaft 14, upon which the bearing-pulley 6 is mounted. This gear meshes with a coperating gear 15, disposed at` the innerend of the shaft 16, carrying these rolls, as shown in Fig. 13.

The rakes is received by the spreader-roller 17, which is provided with plates 18, disposed spirally or diagonally to the longitudinal axis of the roller, so as to feed the'grain longitudinallyfof the roller to spread a layer of equal on and before ,its introduction to the threshing-cylinders. This 'band-cutting is accomplished by means of thye'rollers 19 and 19?, mounted in a' pivoted arm 20, above the spreader-roller and each provided with peripheral'blades or Otherknives 21, disposed Fig. 19. The bundle-spreading roller is adapted to be driven at a more rapid speed machine, whichmay be of any suitable cha-rf4 means Oi' a traction-wheel 2 and provided at` which extends upward alongl the ascendingthickness after the cutting of the bands there in lines Overlapping each other, as shown in' purpose of feeding bundles tied in the usual the deflected'portion 1.1 thereof, when `they and geared to opera-te together by means O1' a bundle delivered from the pivoted'Y ICO than the band-cutting rollers in any desired is provided lfor the shaft of the roller. 19, and

. at the opposite end a bearing 31 is provided lthe shaft 47.

' centers of the friction-disks 25 and 33.

yadjusting-lever 23.

for'the s aft 32, carrying the friction-disk 33, which is held under spring tension by means of the spring 34, disposed between the hub 35 of said disk and the bearing 31. The feeder-roll 17 is driven in any desired manner-.for instance, by means of the crossed belt 36, (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 16)- and has an extended shaft mounted in bearings 37 and provided with a bevel-gear 38,

meshin with a cooperating pinion 39, supported l1n the bearing 40. This pinion is provided with an angular hub 41, over which the correspondingly shaped `collar 42 is adapted to slide, and is provided upon its up er face with a clutch member 43. This collar and clutch are lifted upward in the rotation of the pinion b means of the weighted arms 44, connecte by links 45 with the collar 42 and normally restored by means of springs 46. The pinion 39l is freely rotatable upon the lower end of the shaft 47, and this shaft has secured thereto a clutch-face 48, adapted to coperate with the member 43 and is rovided at its upper end with a friction drivmg- `wheel 49, adapted for movement longitudinally upon the shaft,47. This wheel 49 is mounted in a frame 50, connecting with the This frame 50 is4 rovided with a yoke 51, embracing the hu 52 ofthe friction-drive 49, which is slidingly mounted upon the angular portion 53 of the shaft 47. The frame is also provided with a yoke 54,l embracing the clutch member 55, disposed upon the upper angular end 5 6 of When `the parts are raised in position by means of this frame, the clutch 57, carried by the power transmitting wheel .58, which is slidingly mounted upon the circular portion 59 of the shaft 47 is brought into contacty with the clutch 55 to reverse the direction of the drive. `It will also be observed that the boxing 26 is rovided with a socket 60, in which thehu 61 of the power-transmitting Wheel 58 is adapted to seat, so that these parts may be shifted to vary the position of the driving-wheel and power-transmitting wheel relatively to the By this means the cutter-roll 19 is driven from the spreadin -roll, and its associate roll 19a is seen that in the operation of feeding the material to the machine the volume fed'will be in proportion to the spaces between the feeding and spreading ro ls, and should a larger volume than intended pass' between said rolls it will raise the frame carrying the cuttingrolls while maintaining the same driving relation to the mechanism hereinbefore described.

Should the volume fed be so largeas to entirely withdraw the friction drive-roll from contact with its disks, this would cause the disks, and also theV shaft of the cutter, Ato stop and free the connections hereinbefore described and also the feeding-belt, while the sv reading and feeding roils will continue tiieir operation 'until the' volume of feed be reduced, so as tov permit the parts to regain their initial operation.. Should the volume be great enough to raise the parts carried by the cutting-roll 19 sufficiently to engage the clutch members 55 and 57, the driving action would b e reversed for both therakes and cutting-knives, thus throwing back the surplus material, ywhile the parts would return to their ordinary operatlon as soon as restored to their normal position.

The foregoing construction provides means forvautomatically governing the feed to the threshing-cylinders. With the ordinary system and construction of threshing-cylinders it is not possible under many conditions to perform this class of work with one cylinder,

because in certain localities the siZe of the grain and seeds is very uneven, and a single cylinder set or adjusted with its threshingteeth close enough to its'concave to thresh out the finer grains will crush or crack the coarser ones, and if set apart sufficiently to prevent crushing the fine grain will not be threshed, but will pass out with the straw, thus causing -waste and loss. This objection is obviated in the resent construction by the useof two thres ing-cylinders 66 and 67. The material is fed from the a ron 68 beneath the first of these cylinders, w ich is provided with a coperating concave 69, carrying'the threshing-teeth and beyond said concave with the screen 70, adapted to discharge grain passing therefrom upon the a ron 71, mounted beneath said screen, as s iown in Fig. 2. The material is carried upward from the first cylinder bymeans of a series yof loo and 6.

grates or conveyers 72, as shown in detail in Figs. 5 and 6, and received upon the upper cylinder 67, where'it carried into contact with the teeth of its concave 73 and passesdownward over the screen 74, finally resting upon the series of grates 75 similar in construction to the grates 72.

The teeth 76 for each of the threshing-cylinders and their concaves are similarly constructed and arranged, as shownl in Fig.7, these teeth being angular and lwedge-shaped,

so as to rest at their base upon a supportingplate 77. They are firmly held in this position by means of a clamping-plate 78, having arrangement of parts the teeth are rendered readily removable and reversible, while when clamped in position they are not liable to accidental disconnection from the cylinder, as frequently occurs with teeth threaded therein.

The grate 72 comprises a series of angular1 shafts 81, to which the rectangular plates 82 are securedv so as to rotate therewith, said plates being overlapped, as shown in Figs. 5 Each of the shafts 81 is provided with a crank-arm 83journaled at its outer end in a connecting-bar 84, so that the arms rotate in unison,` one of said arms being driven` by lmeans of a pulley 85, secured upon the shaft thereof and driven by a belted connection 86, as shown by dotted lines in `Fig. 16, The grate 72 communicates motion through its bar 84 to the grate7 5 whichis provided with a similar bar 85, Fig. 1, and a connecting pitman 86, so that these grates rotate in unison. The grate 72 in its rotary movement feeds the straw, which is a lighter substance than the grain, up to the' second threshing-cylinder, while the grain passes therethrough and contacts with the deflecting-apron 87, by which it is carried downward to the apron 71 `and from it discharged upon the conveyer 88, which in turn delivers the grain to the elevator 89. It will be observed that the first threlsh ing-cylinder is an undersho't cylinder and'is adapted to receive thereon the larger-size grain,-

while the smaller grain will be threshed by the second cylinder, which is an overshot cylinder, and the straw carried from this cylinder with the grain is thrown against the screen 74, so that a'ccrtain portion of the threshed gram passcsdown into ,the'receivingchamber 90, which 1s provided with the conveyer 91, adapted to discharge into the ele- `with arms 93 and are rotatably mounted so' us tocarry the material upwardupon the bottom board 94, upon which they operate. At

- for operating the grate 95.

*the lower end of this .board a guard-rack 95 is provided in order to prevent the fall of straw into the conveyer 88, while the upper end of the straw-conveyer discharges into the fan 96, which communicates, by means of a conduit 97, Fig. 1, with the fuel-box 98, disposed'adj acent the fire-box of the engine. The strawconveyers 92 are operated by means of a connecting-bar 99, pivotally secured to the arms carried by the axis of the conveyers, said bar being connected by the link with the bar The straw in its passage over the grate 75 is in fine particles, owing to passing through the two'threshing-cylinders, and to prevent this fine material from mixing with the grain a blast-fan 101 is disposed at the rear of the grate`75, so as to carry this light material off ofthe grates out into the straw-conveying chamber while the action of this fan is supplemented by the suction of the fan 96.

The parts lereinbefore described may be driven by any desiredv connectionfor instance, the driving-wheel 102, providedupon the engine,from which the belt 103 extends over the idler or belt-tightener 104, thence over the shaft 105 of the threshing-cylinder 67, and thence over ay pulley secured upon the shaft 106 of the threshing-cylinder 66, from whence it returns to the driving-wheel 102i. The shaft 105 is provided with a supplemental drivin -pulley 107, from which power yis conveye by a belt 108 to the shaft 109 of thefan 96. The shaft of one of the straw-conveyers 92 is provided with a pulley 110, from which the belt 111 extends over the driving-pulleyv y112 for the conveyer 88 and` over the pulley113 forl the apron 71, thence over the pulley114 upon the shaft of the conveyer 91 in the chamber 90, said parts being driven by motion acquired from the straw-conveying members. n 4

The separated grain is delivered from the elevator 89 to the cleaning mechanism,as shown in Fig. 16, and distributed equally over the cleaning-screens regardless of the angle or inclination of the machine. This is accomplished bym'eans of the screw conveyer 1151nounted in a casing 116, which casing is provided with an opening 117 in its lower side portion. This conveyer 115 may be driven by a pulley 118, connected by belt 119 with' the driving-pulley 120 at the upper end of the elevator, as shown in Fig; 4. The grain is delivered from this screw 'conveyerv .upon the chatting-screen 121 (Shown in Figs'.

IOO

movement of the screens in their travel. The eccentric is also provided with a depending weighted arm 128, which maintains thls end of the casing in normally level position.

The casing 122 is reciprocated longitudinally by means of a pitman 128, connected to an eccentric 129 upon the driving-shaft 130 of the cleanerffan. This casing is also given a lateral or side movement duringits reciprocatory travel by means of the crank-arm 131, pi-voted to the 4frame of the machine at 132 and to the screen-casing at 133.

The chaiiing-screen 121 is provided with a surface 134 of proper mesh for the passage of the grain therefrom to the cleaning-screen 123 beneath the same and at its-outer end is provided with a portion 135 of wider .mesh through which any unhulled grain or unthreshed heads will pass by means of the'.

chute portion 136-into the' hopper 137, as shown in detail in Fig. 3. This hopper communicates at its lower portion with the huller` blades 138, driven by shaft 139, carrying driving-pulley 140, which is connected by belt 141 with a similar pulley 142 upon the shaft 130 of the cleaner-fan. The grain hulled by these Vblades passes downward through the chute 141B, from whence it is discharged into the chamber 90 and thenreturned to the elevator 89 for a subsequent cleaning action. The chaii'er-screen 121 is provided with a series of parallel ribs 142, raised above the surface thereof, which tend to prevent any lateral movement of the grain in the shaking of the screen, and thus insure an even feed over the screen and deposit upon the cleaning-screen 123. The material assing from this latter screen falls upon the board 143, 4from whence it is directed into the delivery-chute- 144.

The blower 145 (shown in detail in Figs. 8. and 9) is disposed within a casing 146, which is provided with an air-intake 147 at one side thereof,fhaving a valve 148 pivotallj,T mounted at 149 and rovided with an o eratinG-lever 150, carrymg at its end a windingspoozl'151, from'which the connecting-cord 152 extends. Thisspool is adapted to be rotated for the lpur ose of lengthening and shortening the ycor 152 and is held in its adjusted position by means of the thumb-nut 153, so that it is in ixed relation to the arm 150 while the parts are in operation. his 'cord extends to alever 154, wt ich is pivotally mounted upon a bracket 155, and'is adapted to engage the movable member 156, carried by a Governing mechanism upon theI shaft 130. his mechanism comprises a iixed member 157, having a link connection 158 with 'the' movable member 156. These links are provided with governor-weights 159, which in their outward -movement retract the member 156 and place spring 150, disposed upon the, shaft 130, under proper ten'- sion. When this spring 'is distended, as

y threshing, as an increase in the speed of the fan reduces'the air-opening, while a decrease thereof increases 'the capacity of its opening.

Any suit-,able form of engine or motor may be used for driving thel parts described, and a preferable form'is illustrated herein in Fig. 2, comprising the engine, having a waterspace 200, surrounding the firefbox 201, from which the fire-tubes 202 extend to the stack 203, which is inclosed within the casing 204 to form al steam-dome'205, from which the steam is taken by means of the pipe 206 to the engine 207, the-driving-shaft of which is provided with the main driving- Wheel 102. (Shown in Fig. 1.) Beneath the engine a Suitable water-tank 208 may be supported by means of hangers 209.

The grain is fed by the band-cutting rollers and separating-roller from either of the devices hereinbefore described to the .threshing-cylinders, the first of whiclrthreshes the large grain, which passes through the screen to the conveying-belt beneath the same, while the remainin smaller grain not acted upon by this cylin( er is carried through the next threslling-cylinder, the teeth of which are set to properly thresh the small grain and avoid injury to the large grain before feeding to this cylinder. A portion of the grain removed by this cylinder is -carried directly through the screen at the back thereof, while thel straw with the remaining grain falls upon the conveyers, the former being carried by the straw-conveyer andV thence by the fan to lthe tire-box, while the grain passes downward through the grates .and conveyers to the elevator, by which it is carried upward and deposited upon the mov-4 able cleaning and chaling screens. .These I screens are under the constant action'of the air-blast from the fan, which communicates with the interiorv casing thereof, and the straw, hulls, or other material which is carried off of the screens is conveyed downward to the fan of the straw-conveyer, which assists the cleaning-fanby creating a suctiondraft therefrom. The material passing from the 'chafling-screen is also received upon the cleaner-screen, from Which'it ,is delivered into the delivery-chute, while the material whichpasses ofl' of the cleaner-screen, as well asI the' unhulled material -from the chatting-screen, is carried'by gravity into the hulling-blades, from which it is returned to llC action.

f bined with the vertical movement at one end ldisposed beneat charging upon sa1d conveyer,y a conve er-y It will be seenT that the construction andarrangement of parts hereinbefore described provides means by which the bundles are cut and spread, so as to provide a most desirable feed to the thresher, While these threshing-cylinders are constructed and ari ranged to secure a most desirable action, and the Vconveying grates o r disks between the threshers permit the escape and delivery oi any separated ain. j

It Will also be seen that the construction of the straw-conveyers permit the oW back- Ward of an grain .escaping-therefrom, While the upwar lfeed of the straw is continued until it is receivedl by the conveying-fan therefor.

The screw conveyer by which the grain is fed from theelevator to thefcleaning-screen provides for the even feed thereon, vWhile the reciprocat'ory movementof this screen, comdue to the eccentric connection and the lateral movement thereof., produces the most elicient screening action, as the grain is thoroughly agitated on the surface ofthe screen, 'while the automatic regulation of the airblast through this screen revents excessive blast thereon, by Which t e grain might be carried away with the refu'se, and maintains a constant pressure during the separating action.l g

Havingnow described my invention and set forth` its merits, what I claim, and desire to secure by'Letters Patent, is-

1. -In a machine of the class described, a threshing-cylinder having a coperating concave, a screen beneath said cylinder, a secondary threshing-cylinder, a conveyer-grate disposed-beneath said cylinders, 'a conve ergrate at the discharge from said secon ary cylinder, astraW-conveyer disposed at the discharge from said last-mentioned grate, and afconveyer-belt extending beneath said screen and b th conveyer-grates.

2. In a achine of the class described, a threshing-cylinder, having a coperating concave, a screen` beneath said cylinder, a conveyer disposed beneath saidscreen, arsecondary threshin '-cylinder, a conveyer-grate gli said cylinders and disgrate at the' discharge from said secon vary cylinder, straw-conveying rakes disposed at the dischar e from said last-mentioned ate, and a fan isposed at thefront of sai lastmentioned grate to force ai-r therethrough.

. 3. In amachine of the class described, a pluralit of threshin -cylinders each adapted to t iresh grain o different sizes, means for feeding material from one of said cylinders to the other, a screen beneath one of said cylinders, a vertically-disposed screen at the rear of the other` cylinderzr'and a conveying-belt extending beneath both of said cylinders. u

4. In a vmachine of the class described, a threshing-cylinder in combination with a cooperating concave at its upper portion, means for feeding materia-Ito said cylinder, and a vertically-dis osed screen at the discharge side ofthe cylinder comprising a prolongation of the concave.

5. In a machine of the class described, a primary undershot threshing-cylinder in combination with a secondary overshot cylinder, means for feeding material from one ofA said cylinders to the other, a screen disposed beneath the primary cylinder, a conveyingbelt beneath said'screen, and a conveying- .chamber having a screen-Wall at the rear of the secondary cylinder.

6. In a device ofthe class described, a threshing mechanism, means for conveying the grain therefrom, a straW-conveyer eX- tcnding from said threshing mechanism, a suction conveying-fan communicating With said straw-conveyer, a cleaner having ,a closed casing communicating with said fan, a cleaner-fan having communication With the straw-conveying fan through said casing, a huller mechanism disposed in communication with said cleaner-fan, and means to return the material from said huller to said cleaner. j

7. In a machine of the class described, a threshing mechanism, means for conveying the grain therefrom, an elevator, a straw-conveyer extending from said threshing'mechanism, a suction conveying-fan communlcatmg with said straW-conveyer, a cleaner disposed at the upper end of sald elevator and having a casing communicating with said fan, a cleaner-fan having lcommunication With Asaid straw-conveying fan through said casing, a huller mechanism disposed in communication with said cleaner, means to return the material from said huller to said elevator, and: means for automatically controlling the air-inlet to said cleaner-fan to regulate the blast thereto.

: 8.. In a machine of the class described, a

plurality of threshing-cylinders, a conveyingreel disposed between said cylinders, a verti- Ically-disposed screen at the discharge from the last cylinder, and a conveying-belt disposed beneath said reel.

' 9. In a machine of the class described, a primary undershot and secondary overshot threshing-c linder,-a conveying-reel between said cylin ers, a secondary `conveying-reel IOO disposed beneath thedischarge from the overshot cylinder, a conveying-belt disposed beneath both of said cylinders, a straw-conveyer disposed at the discharge of the secondary rcel, and means for simultaneously operating said reels'and straW-conveyer.

a straw-conveyer disposed at the discharge of the said secondary grate, means for simultaneously operating said reels and straw-conveyer, means to drive an air-blast through l the secondary grate, and a suction-fan disposed in communication with said strawconveyer.

11. In a machine ofthe class described, a plurality of threshing-cylinders, a conveyinggrate disposedbetween said cylinders, a secondary conveying-grate disposed at the discharge from the last cylinder, a conveyingbelt disposed beneath both of said cylinders, a straw-conveyer disposed at the discharge of the secondary gratemeans for simultaneously operating-said reels and straw-conveyer, means to drive an air-blast through the secondary grate, a suction-fan disposed in communication with said straw-conveyer, an elevator from said endless conveyer, a cleaner in communication with said elevator and with the suction-fan of the straw-conveyer, and a cleaner-fan communicating with said cleaner and suction-fan.

l2, 'In a machine of the class described, vtwo-'series of grates eachseries consisting of a plurality of rotating grates each having arms extending 4from the journals thereof, a bar connecting the bottom grate of each series of grates, anda pitman extending between the bars of each series.

13. In a machine of the class described, two series of grates each series consisting of a plurality of rotating grates each having arms extending from the journals thereof, a bar connecting the bottom' grate of each series of grates, a pitman extending between the bars of 'each series, a rotary toothed -straw-con- Veyer comprising a series of fingers having independent shafts each provided .with leverarmsextending therefrom andconnected to a universal driving-bar, and a link connection between said'bar and the bar of a series of grates.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W TICE.

Witnesses:

JOHN LowN, C. W. JooELYN. 

